


The Abduction of John Farley (Part Two of the John Farley Series)

by Floydman



Series: John Farley Series [2]
Category: Obduction (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 17:25:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16858210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floydman/pseuds/Floydman





	The Abduction of John Farley (Part Two of the John Farley Series)

**Content Warning: Addiction and attempted suicide.**

All was quiet at the Farley home. The long blades of grass in the front lawn softly waved as a calm breeze passed through the property. No light shown through the drawn curtains. Upstairs, John Farley's room was as dark and undisturbed as it had been since the day he died, save for one thing: Though a thick layer of dust had settled and everything was in order, a fresh set of footprints led from the window to the bed and back. Downstairs, chairs sat in various places, facing every which way. The floor was a mess of dust, dirt, and paper.

The sole inhabitant of the house was not technically in the house, but she was most definitely home. The Collector Seed that had snatched the house from Earth had been activated in the front yard. It's sphere of influence had not been quite large enough to transport the whole property, so only a few parts of the house had made the trip: the living room, the family room, and an upstairs bedroom.

The sphere had been placed, though, in a large rockface in such a way that it was complimented by a small tunnel in the interior of the rock that lead to a small cave. It was in this cave that Caroline Farley now lay on her bed, the dust-covered soles of her feet dirtying the blanket underneath. Her eyes were closed, and the hands in her lap lightly gripped an envelope. On the front were the handwritten words "John's Story". The handwriting did not belong to her father, though. She recognized it as Cecil's.

Caroline had not anticipated such a surprise from beyond the grave. So much had happened since her father's passing, it seemed like it must have happened a decade ago. Maybe it was the recent turbulent events, or maybe it was their new unfettered home. Either way, Cecil had approached her and handed her an envelope this afternoon. He claimed that her father had entrusted it to him. How was that even possible? They positively hated each other.

Yet here it was: some important thing her father didn't tell her while he was alive. What was so secretive that her father couldn't tell her in person, yet Cecil could keep secret for months, maybe even years?

Curiosity finally got the best of Caroline, and she opened the envelope. Inside were several handwritten pages. For a moment, it was as though her father never left. She was just reading a note. But he was gone, and this writing was all she would get from him. Propping her back up on pillows, she began to read her father's secret story.

***

Like a lot of folks, I lost a lot when I was brought to Hunrath. I had a life just like everybody else. But unlike most folks, I don't wish I could go back. The most important things in my life came with me: my daughter, my memories, and my house. The seed that took us helped me accomplish what I had wanted to do for years: I left behind my demons. It didn't erase them, of course. It didn't keep me from remembering them. But it helped me move on.

I thought I was the luckiest person in the world when I married Darlene. We were both young—too young, some would say—but we loved each other. That wasn’t enough for her father, of course. I remember our first date. I showed up early and had to wait for what felt like hours in the living room with him. He didn’t say anything until she came into the room, and then it was to make sure I was going to treat her right.

I expected him to warm to me when he saw how happy his daughter was, but I swear he liked me less every time I knocked on the door. He stared at me every time we drove away. He was waiting every time we came back. He answered the phone every time I called.

But Darlene didn’t give up on me. I think, to her, her father’s disapproval made our relationship more exciting. She said yes when I proposed. She said yes at the altar.

We were married less than a year when Caroline was born. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I thought I knew love when I looked at Darlene, but Caroline took it to a whole new level.

Less than a week later, Darlene was gone. God took her home almost as soon as Caroline had arrived. I don't pretend to know why the Almighty makes the decisions he does, but this one sure felt like a mistake. I had never experienced so much joy and sorrow at the same time.

I tried to raise Caroline the best I could, but it was next to impossible with all the work I had to do. Darlene’s mother Claudia started coming to our home almost every day. She carried Caroline in her arms, and she watched helplessly as I sank further and further into my depression. I thought it had hurt when Darlene passed, but that was only the beginning of my sorrow. I tried to fight it by focusing on Caroline. She was my beautiful baby girl, after all. I thought my joy for her would overwhelm my heartache for Darlene, but it only seemed to make it worse. Every time I looked at her I was reminded of what I had lost.

I know now there was no way to make the pain go away, but I ended up trying everything I could. Liquor hit the sweet spot. After a long day, before Claudia went home, I would head to a bar in town. First it was just one drink every now and then. Then it became one drink a day. It eventually reached a point where I was spending hours away from the house and from Caroline. Claudia made her displeasure known every chance she got. Not wanting to mess up the one good thing I had going, I started spending more time at home, and I brought the liquor with me.

The fridge was void of good food, but the cupboards were full of my favorite escapes. Finally, I could come in from a long day, Claudia could go home, and I could still drink the pain away. I think Claudia knew how bad it had become, but she wanted me to spend time with Caroline. Maybe she thought it would fix me. She couldn't have understood my mixed emotions.

I noticed that she started staying later and later. I’d like to say she had a sixth sense, but I know it was probably obvious how far gone I was. It reached a point where she would stay until Caroline was in bed. Caroline was about three years old then. And every night--as much as I loved her--I also couldn't stand to think that God had chosen me to suffer. I drank and I worried and I felt guilty, so I drank some more. Then came the most important night of my life.

I decided that I had had enough. I had reached my wit's end, and I was going to do something about it. I wasn’t going to be a negative influence in my daughter’s life anymore. After supper, Claudia took Caroline out on the front porch. Instead of cleaning up, I went to the cupboard and opened it. Bottle after empty bottle sat on the shelves. I went to the next cupboard and found more of the same. I moved from cupboard to drawer to closet, desperate to find some indication that I wasn’t beyond saving.

I found none.

Dejected, I took a half-empty bottle and headed upstairs. I crossed my bedroom and looked out into the front yard. Claudia was holding Caroline’s hand and walking her back to the porch. They were both smiling. I smiled through tears. It should have been Darlene out there. It should have been me out there. It would be a while before they came inside, so I set to work. I was soon prepared for the task at hand.

I set a chair in the middle of the room and tied a rope around an exposed rafter. It didn’t take near as long as I had expected. I imagined Darlene’s face as I placed the noose around my neck. She was close.

I kicked away the chair and fell. Unlike the preparation, the fall took longer than I expected. And then I saw Darlene--there, in my room. She was running toward me; coming to embrace me, I thought; to welcome me. But she looked worried, and as she reached me, she thrust her hands toward the rope, and all at once it was daytime. Light was streaming in through the window. I knew I had crossed over. I was done suffering.

My feet made contact with the floor, and I was reminded that I had not finished the drop. There was no recoil, though--no tension. I feel in a heap, tears streaming down my face, and I looked around for Darlene. She was gone.

Was I dead? Was this Heaven? I ran to the window. No, it was Hell. I was surrounded by desert.

But then I looked down, and Caroline and Claudia were in the yard. They were with me. I wasn’t dead. Just the opposite, in fact. I was reborn that day. That seed saved me. It saved my little family. And I know there must be a reason.

What is the reason?

***

Caroline took a moment to take in these revelations, but she only needed a moment. She leapt from the bed and ran straight to Cecil's compound. She found him working upstairs in his workshop.

"Did you know?" she asked him.

"Know what?" Cecil responded.

"Did you read his story?"

Cecil seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment. "Yes, I read it."

"How long did you have it?"

"Your father gave it to me not too long before he passed."

"And you waited all this time to give it to me?!"

"I didn't think it was the most pressing matter, especially with death himself knocking on our door. Now that we're here, I thought, Why not?

"But why you? Why did he give it to you?"

"I think he trusted me. Caroline, I know your father and I disagreed about a lot of things, but I am an honorable man. I think he saw that. What's this about?"

"My father was saved by the seed that brought us here. It wasn't there to save me or my grandmother--just him. He was brought here for a purpose, Cecil, and that wasn't to die in some freak accident."

"Lots of people died in Hunrath. What are you saying, Caroline?"

"I'm saying my father was murdered."


End file.
